What does a chemical laboratory scientist do?
Chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real chemical laboratory scientist resumes:
- Design and conduct experiments at a chemistry lab in order to monitor the continuous growing of a genetically modify bacterium.
- Develop a binding experiment utilizing fluorescence polarization to screen discovery compounds for interaction with various RNA constructs.
Chemical laboratory scientist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Chemical Laboratory Scientists are proficient in Sample Preparation, Gas Chromatography, and Extraction. They’re also known for soft skills such as Math skills, Organizational skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Chemical Laboratory Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Sample Preparation, 24%
Perform a variety of complex sample preparation and analysis procedures to quantitatively measure pharmaceutical compounds in a variety of biological matrices.
- Gas Chromatography, 22%
Operate and maintain scientific equipment such as electronic balances, gas chromatography equipment, infrared spectrophotometer, microscopes, etc.
- Extraction, 17%
Sample preparation for these analyses includes homogenization techniques for various tissues and solid-phase or liquid-liquid extraction in a low-throughput format.
- Absorption, 14%
Analyzed food samples employing Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Atomic Emission Spectrometry, Neutronic Activation and X Ray Fluorescence.
- Chemical Analysis, 11%
Provided Quality Control support performing wet chemical analysis for quality control of plating solutions for microprocessors and peripheral components.
- Ms, 8%
Conducted a proteomics analysis of differentiating OPCs to elucidate the MOA (mechanism of action) of MS drug candidates.
Common skills that a chemical laboratory scientist uses to do their job include "sample preparation," "gas chromatography," and "extraction." You can find details on the most important chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities below.
Math skills. One of the key soft skills for a chemical laboratory scientist to have is math skills. You can see how this relates to what chemical laboratory scientists do because "chemists and materials scientists regularly use calculus, algebra, statistics, and other math for calculations." Additionally, a chemical laboratory scientist resume shows how chemical laboratory scientists use math skills: "performed several in-depth quantitative, qualitative, biological and chemical testing systems in congruence with standard operating procedures. "
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling chemical laboratory scientist duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "chemists and materials scientists must document processes carefully when conducting experiments, tracking outcomes, and analyzing results." According to a chemical laboratory scientist resume, here's how chemical laboratory scientists can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "established multiple preclinical models to test new approaches to treat viral infections, including organizational design of experiments and data analysis. "
Problem-solving skills. chemical laboratory scientists are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities, because "chemists’ and materials scientists’ work involves posing questions during research and finding answers through results." A chemical laboratory scientist resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "provide scientific guidance to technical staff when appropriate and perform bench work such as hplc, gc and dissolution. "
Analytical skills. A big part of what chemical laboratory scientists do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities because "chemists and materials scientists need to evaluate the results of experiments to ensure accuracy in their research." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical chemical laboratory scientist tasks: "conducted daily calibration and trend tracking of analytical instrumentation, as well as source preparations. "
Interpersonal skills. Another common skill required for chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." This skill comes up in the duties of chemical laboratory scientists all the time, as "chemists and materials scientists typically work on teams and need to be cooperative." An excerpt from a real chemical laboratory scientist resume shows how this skill is central to what a chemical laboratory scientist does: "team oriented professional with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. "
Time-management skills. While "time-management skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities. Much of what a chemical laboratory scientist does relies on this skill, seeing as "chemists and materials scientists usually need to meet deadlines and must be able to prioritize tasks while maintaining quality." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of chemical laboratory scientists: "released the test results on time by following the gmp and fda regulations along with a certificate of analysis. "
The three companies that hire the most chemical laboratory scientists are:
- KBR2 chemical laboratory scientists jobs
- Pace Analytical2 chemical laboratory scientists jobs
- Aramco Services Company2 chemical laboratory scientists jobs
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Compare different chemical laboratory scientists
Chemical laboratory scientist vs. Research and development chemist
A research and development chemist primarily works at laboratories to conduct extensive tests and experiments aiming to develop new products and technologies. Although the extent of their duties may vary, it typically revolves around conducting research and studies, observing chemical reactions, maintaining records and databases, collaborating with fellow experts, and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing components or mixtures. They can find employment in different areas, such as manufacturing companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and even education.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between chemical laboratory scientists and research and development chemist. For instance, chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities require skills such as "sample preparation," "extraction," "chemical analysis," and "atomic absorption." Whereas a research and development chemist is skilled in "r," "product development," "laboratory equipment," and "synthesis." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, research and development chemists reach similar levels of education than chemical laboratory scientists. Research and development chemists are 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 3.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Chemical laboratory scientist vs. Product development chemist
Quality Assurance Chemists generally offer pay of around $54K per year and require strong skills in analysis and instrumentation and general knowledge of chemistry, attention to detail, and various organizational skills. Also, they must be able to investigate and analyze problems whenever they crop up. This career choice requires a bachelor's or advanced degree in chemistry, depending on the industry, and will often be offered in pharmaceutical fields, where standard duties consist of the measurement and testing of lab materials and products according to industry standards.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, chemical laboratory scientist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "sample preparation," "extraction," "chemical analysis," and "ms." Meanwhile, a product development chemist has duties that require skills in areas such as "lab equipment," "r," "product development," and "qc." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Product development chemists tend to reach similar levels of education than chemical laboratory scientists. In fact, they're 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Chemical laboratory scientist vs. Quality assurance chemist
A Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from chemical laboratory scientist resumes include skills like "sample preparation," "extraction," "atomic absorption," and "biological samples," whereas a quality assurance chemist is more likely to list skills in "lab equipment," "r," "iso," and "test results. "
Quality assurance chemists typically earn similar educational levels compared to chemical laboratory scientists. Specifically, they're 4.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 7.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Chemical laboratory scientist vs. Quality control chemist
Types of chemical laboratory scientist
Updated January 8, 2025
